Violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations, affecting millions globally and undermining gender equality.
Tanzania has made notable progress in addressing violence against women through legal frameworks such as the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act and the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children. These measures have raised awareness and strengthened protections against gender-based violence. However, despite these efforts, discriminatory laws persist, preventing women and girls from fully enjoying their rights and accessing development benefits.
Legal reforms are crucial to eliminating discriminatory laws and aligning national legislation with international human rights standards, ensuring that women and girls can fully participate in all areas of society.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive legal reforms, UN Women, with support from the Government of the Netherlands and the delegation of the European Union in the United Republic of Tanzania, launched a study titled "Analysis of Laws of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar from a Gender Perspective" at a multi-sectoral dialogue held in Zanzibar. The study identified 76 legal reform recommendations to ensure gender equality, including repealing two discriminatory laws, amending 18 existing laws, and enacting five new laws to align Tanzania's legislative framework with international standards.
At the launch, Judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Winfrida Beatrice Korosso highlighted key areas requiring attention, including the Law of Marriage Act, employment legislation, rules of evidence, online gender-based violence, and property rights.
"Aligning the legal marriage age with the age of adulthood would be a significant step towards protecting young girls. Moreover, ensuring equal pay for equal work is essential for promoting equality and addressing sexual harassment and sextortion in the workplace, which remain urgent issues," she explained.
Nisha Arekapudi, Policy Specialist in Legal Reform at UN Women, further noted that while progress has been made, critical gaps remain in women’s legal protections, particularly in women’s inheritance rights, often shaped by religious and customary practices.
“In some contexts, puberty—rather than a set biological age—is used as a marker in legal determinations. This undermines the rights of women and girls and creates disparities in the application of laws meant to protect them," she said.
To address these gaps, Hon. Ali Hassan Omar King, Member of Parliament for Tanzania, stressed the importance of incorporating gender equality into national budgets and development plans, highlighting positive steps taken by the government: "Ministries are now assessed against long-term goals, and budgets are reviewed to ensure adequate funding for gender equality," he stated.
In her presentation of the report at the launch, Racheal Boma, UN Women’s Programme Specialist for Women’s Rights and Access to Justice, commended the Government of Tanzania for the significant strides made in advancing national commitments to reviewing discriminatory legislation, emphasizing that the findings of this report are essential for understanding the changes needed to achieve equal rights.
"As UN Women, our hope is that this Analysis of the Laws will provide valuable insights and serve as a tool to support the ongoing efforts of both the Mainland and Zanzibar governments as they work to align national laws with international and regional obligations," she said.
Beyond legal reforms, Justice Korosso emphasized the importance of awareness and education for those responsible for enforcing laws, stressing that enacting legislation alone is not enough.
'It is essential that those tasked with enforcing the law fully understand it. A comprehensive approach is needed to address the remaining gaps. Policymakers, legal professionals, and society as a whole must grasp the full scope of these challenges and take coordinated action,' she added.
The multi-sectoral dialogue, which brought together representatives from the Gender Ministries and Ministries of Justice from both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, along with justice stakeholders, parliamentarians, development partners, academia, religious leaders, civil society, and women’s rights organizations concluded with a joint statement titled “Forging Pathways to End All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls," emphasizing the need to integrate gender equality into legislation. Participants committed to strengthening legal frameworks, advocating for the repeal of discriminatory laws, and fostering a culture of zero tolerance toward violence against women and girls.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.
